Back to the Source
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: This is a oneshot. It comes between Dreamworld and Need to Know. It is meant to be a bit of fun to get you through to Monday (or Sunday for Canada.) There are no spoilers here. The T rating is for safety only. Of course I own nothing, much as I would wish otherwise.


Back to the Source

Richard Castle tossed restlessly on the bed. His face held a sheen of sweat and his hair had fallen over his forehead. Eyes still closed, he called for Kate, but it was Martha's voice he heard. "She's not here, Richard. She's in DC. But she said she'd try to come up tomorrow."

Castle opened his eyes and turned his sapphire gaze on the Broadway diva. "Sorry Mother," he said. "I remember. I was still half asleep."

"You should be all the way asleep," Martha told him in her best parental manner. "The doctor said that you needed at least a week of bed rest to get back to normal."

Castle shook his head. "Normal! How can I be normal without Beckett? When we thought I'd be dead, McCord said Beckett would be great in DC, but Kate and I are ying and yang. It takes both of us to make the story."

Martha patted his hand. "You will find a way to work things out. Now I have to go teach a class, but Pi will be here if you need anything."

Castle rolled his eyes. "Great!" he snorted.

Leaning back on the bed with his forearm over his eyes, Castle was just beginning to relax again when he heard the phone. Pi came to the door of Castle's bedroom holding the wireless receiver. "It's someone named Gina, Mr. C," Pi told him.

Castle extended an arm and wiggled his fingers. Pi handed him the phone. "Nothing better to do," Castle muttered to himself. "Hello Gina," he said, trying to sound upbeat.

"Rick, have you heard from Alex Conrad recently?"

"He came to the poker game a few weeks ago, but I haven't talked to him since." Castle told her. "Why?"

"We can't find him. He hasn't made his meetings or his deadlines."

"Maybe I taught him too well," Castle quipped.

"No," Gina told him. "You haven't ruined him. This is not his normal behavior. That's why I'm worried about it. I thought maybe with all your cop friends you could track him down."

"Gina, with Beckett in DC I don't spend much time at the precinct these days, but I'll see what I can do."

After finishing his call with Gina, Castle tried to call both Esposito and Ryan. Both calls went to voice mail. Castle felt his head falling toward the pillow again. Putting the phone on the nightstand, he decided he could nap until Ryan or Esposito got back to him. He awoke to the feel of Beckett's lips on his. "Kate," he said. "hi. What time is it? What day is it?"

Beckett smoothed back the errant locks falling on his forehead. "It's Friday afternoon. We finished a case early so I got a flight out."

Castle reached up to put a hand behind Beckett's neck. He twined his fingers in her hair and pulled her towards him. "I think I know what we can do with the extra time," he whispered.

Beckett climbed on top of him on the bed, holding his face in her hands. As their lips met, the phone trilled. Beckett raised her head as Castle groaned in frustration. The phone showed Esposito's ID. "Yo, Castle," Esposito said, you OK, man? Your mom said you were in the hospital."

"Thanks Espo, I'm fine," Castle told him. "You know how dramatic she can be. I'm actually concerned about someone else. Gina seems to think that Alex Conrad is missing."

Beckett raised her eyebrows, sending her forehead into crinkles.

"What do you think, man?" Esposito asked.

"I honestly don't know," Castle told him. "I haven't seen him in weeks. But unless he's picked up some of my worst habits, this is not like him. I'd appreciate it if you'd do some checking."

"Yeah, he's a cool dude. Ryan and I were his muses. We'll check it out."

"Thanks bro," Castle told him and put the phone down. "Where were we?" Castle asked, reaching for Beckett.

Beckett pulled back. "Did you get Alex into some kind of trouble?" she asked.

Castle stared at her with false incredulity. "Me?" He laughed. "No, seriously, I don't know anything about it. Gina called because she was worried and she doesn't worry easily, but I hope it's nothing. I'd like to make trouble with you, though," Castle murmured reaching up to pull Beckett to him again.

Beckett snuggled into his body. "We do have a way of getting into trouble, don't we?" she purred. As Castle rolled Beckett beneath him he whispered." Let's misbehave."

Beckett lay in Castle's arms as sun streamed into the loft. As she started to slip herself free to get up, Castle wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Don't get up. Stay in bed," he said.

Beckett smiled. "Where have I heard that before?" she thought. "Castle, it's ten A.M. I can't sleep this long. You stay, I'll bring you a coffee."

Beckett slipped on one of Castle's shirts and padded out to the kitchen. Pi was behind the counter behind a mountain of fruit. "Hey, Agent 'B'," he greeted her. "Want a fruit smoothie?"

"No thanks, Pi," she answered. "I'm just going to make a couple of coffees for Castle and me." Beckett used Castle's machine and filled two steaming cups. She made her way to Castle's bedroom to find him bare-chested and propped up against a couple of pillows. He was looking a lot better than he had when she arrived the previous afternoon. "You're looking good," she told him.

Castle stroked her face. "You infuse me with healing energy."

Beckett laughed."You sound like Pi." Castle shuddered and gave an exaggerated grimace.

They sipped their coffees in companionable silence until strains of the "Dragnet" theme, Castle's ring for the 12th Precinct, sounded from Castle's phone on the nightstand. Castle grabbed for the it. "That may be Esposito about Alex," He said. Castle put the phone on speaker.

It was actually Ryan. "Hey Castle," he said. "Javi said you asked about Alex Conrad. We did a little checking. A few weeks ago he went to visit a prisoner at Riker's, a guy named Moody. No one has seen him since."

"Thanks Ryan" Castle said. "And thank Espo for me."

"Will do," Ryan agreed. "I'll let you know if we come up with anything else."

Castle hitched himself further up in bed. Kate gave him an admiring glance as the sheet slipped lower. "Feel up to a trip to Riker's?" he asked.

"_I_ feel great," Beckett told him "How about you?"

"Ready to go, at least after I have a shower – or we do." Castle answered.

Beckett rolled her eyes and gently poked him in chest. "You're OK."

Beckett and Castle sat across a table from Moody. "Alex Conrad is a good guy," Moody told them. "What's going on?"

"He's a friend of ours, my protege, actually" Castle told him. "Nobody can find him. We just want to make sure nothing has happened to him."

"Of course you can't find him," Moody told them. "He was doing research on how to go off the grid for his next book. I've been helping him with the details. He's trying out what I told him. He's going to make me character."

Castle grinned as they made their way to the car. "So Alex found a way to hide from Gina. How did I never think of that?"

"I'm not sure that's what he had in mind, Castle," Beckett told him. "In fact, we don't know that Moody was telling us the truth. We won't unless we find Alex."

"So if Alex has deliberately gone underground, how do we find him?" Castle asked.

"Let's think about it Castle. He's a writer. He needs resources for his research. Where would he hide out?"

They turned to face each other and spoke the same conclusion simultaneously: "the library!"

Castle and Beckett approached the main branch of the New York Public Library, hands tightly entwined in silent remembrance of their time there before, when Castle had hidden from 3XK. Castle reached out an arm to affectionately pat the mane of one of the library lions. As they descended the steps of the resource room, they saw Alex Conrad hunched over a table, engrossed in his research. They sat on either side of him and Castle touched him on the shoulder. Alex started. "Castle! Kate! What are you doing here?"

"Gina was worried when she couldn't find you, Beckett told him. So we tracked you down."

"Sorry if we spoiled your fun," Castle teased.

"How did you find me?" Alex asked "I was completely off the grid."

Castle smirked. "C'mon man, it's us!"

"Alex shook his head. "I gotta do more research."

Castle put an arm around his shoulders. "Just call Gina," he told him. "I tell you this from bitter experience, you do not want to face her wrath."

"OK Castle," Alex agreed. "As annoying as this is, thanks."

Castle nodded. "Anytime. Now I think our work here is done."

Castle and Beckett headed out of the library, leaving Alex to his work. When they were outside, Castle phoned Ryan. "Hey man, he said. Just wanted to let you know that Beckett and I found Alex Conrad. He's fine. Can you tell Esposito?"

"Sure," Ryan said, "Where was he?"

"I can't tell you," Castle told him."I might have to hide there myself. Gina can be relentless when I'm past deadline."

"Which is often I'm sure, the way you mess around," Ryan teased,"But OK, I'll tell Espo."

"Thanks man," Castle said, pushing the end button.

Beckett reached up and clasped her hands behind Castle's neck. "So case closed," she said. "What do you want to do now?"

Castle put his arms around her and pulled her close. "How about we disappear too?"

Beckett kissed him and smiled. "Alakazam!"


End file.
